willshaw



RAILWAY SIGNAL.

PatentedApr. 27, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

"1 Q o g g 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

gm Model.)

0. P.'& A. WILLSHAW.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

INVENTOR fi/MM wrm A MORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEMENT P. lVILLSIIAlV, OF BROOKLYN, AND ALEXANDER XVILLSHAW, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,846, dated April 27, 1886,

Application filed March 17, 1886. Serial No.195.51l8. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLEMENT I. WILL- SHAW, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, and ALEXANDER VVILLSHAW, of the city, county, and State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Signal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Ourinvention relates to an improved gongsignal adapted to be sounded by passing trains, and adapted to be used at railway-switches and signal-stations, and on railway-gates, and in other places; and the invention consists, principally, in constructing the shaft that opcrates the gong-striking mechanism to auto: matically assume a position for striking the gong in case the switch-operating connections, or any of the connections with the gong-signal are broken or get outof position or release the switch.

The invention also consists of the construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-switch and an ordinary danger-signal having our invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation showing one of the rails in dotted lines, and showing the gong-signal connections in position for action to apprise the engineer of danger.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings the gong-signal A is arranged to act in connection with the ordinary danger-signal, B, which latter is connected with the switch-rod Qwhich is adapted to be operated by the lever 1) for opening and closing the switch-rails E. The signal A is provided with a gong,a,at tached to the upright I), located near the track. Reaching from the upright b to the outside of the rail R is the shaft, F, journaled in the blocks a c. The outer end of the shaft F is provided with the crank-arm d, which is connected by the rod 6 with the trip-lever f, arranged in connection with the dog 9, springs h h, and the hammer 2' to cause the latter to strike the gong whenever the arm (Z is depressed. The end of the shaft F next to the rail It is formed or provided with the curved arm j which stands parallel with the rail and adjacent to it. To the center of the shaft is connected another arm, k,which is formed with an eye at its outer end, to which is connected one end of the wire nected to one member of the bell-cranklever G, pivoted near the switch-rod C. The wire Z after leaving the eye of the arm 7.: passes under the pulley H, journaled immediately be low the arm 7;. The other member of the bell-crank lever G ispivotcd to the said switchrod 0, so that when the switch-rod is moved in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. 1, the rod Z Will be drawn in the direction ofarrow 1,which will act through the arm 7." to draw the shaft]? to a position in which the curved arm j will stand below the tread of the rail B. This movement of the switch-rail C at the same time turns the signal B to position to indicate safety. A counter-weight, m, is connected with the shaft F by an arm or rod, or, project ing from the shaft in a direction opposite to the arm 7.", so that when the arm k is drawn downward, as just described, by the wire Z, the counter-weight or will be elevated, so that in case the wire Z should break, or the fastening-pin a of the switch-operating lever I) be removed or the switclrrod 0 become broken, the weight m will automatically turn the shaft F back to danger position thatis, so that the curved arm j will stand above the tread of the rail R-so that the wheels of the locomotive and cars passing the signal will depress it and the arms d and f, causing the latter to 0p erate the arm for sounding the gong.

W hen the switclrlever l) is operated by hand to turn the switch-rails E for opening the siding, the bell-crank G will be turned to relieve the wire Z of all strain, so that the counter-weight or will set the shaft F to position to be operated by the passing train. At all other times when strain is put upon the wirel the curved arm 7 will be depressed and the counter-weight an elevated. \Vhen the switch-operating lever D is operated to close the siding, this act will throw the signal A out of action by turning shaft F, and at this ,or small wire rope Z, which leads to andis con- 2 senses time the gong a will be struck, thus apprising the switehman that the switch and signal are all right.

Vhile we have shown our new signal applied to a switch in a railway and in connection with an ordinary danger-signal, it may be applied in various other situations, and whereever applied it is a constant safeguard against accidents, and can always be relied upon, as it is automatic in its action.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a signal, the shaft F, provided with a curved arm, j, and connected to the gong-striking mechanism, and provided with a counterweight, m, in combination wit-h a'line, Z, connected with the shaft for turning it to elevate the weight and lower the curved arm, substantially as described.

2. The bell-cranklever G and signal B, connected with the switch-rod G, in combination with the shaft F, curved arm j, line Z, counterweightm, gong a, and mechanism for striking the same connected with the arm (2 of the shaft F, substantially as described.

CLEMENT P. .VILLSHPQV. ALEXANDER \VILLSHAV.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK A. BURNHAM, Enw. WAGHR. 

